Ben Mathes

SF Bay Area, Yosemite and Sierra Wilderness, Lake Tahoe.

Ben Mathes's Passions

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Hiking & Camping

Running

Skiing

Ben Mathes's Bio

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I love spending all day pushing myself (and consequently my gear). I cover 20+ miles in a day amongst the rocks and meadows of the High Sierra. I ski non-stop from the first chair of the day until the lifts close.

The only issue I have is that this is a stretchy material, but for the men's cuts (at least in large) it doesn't taper in below the chest, giving someone with an athletic build a bad silhouette. E.g. look at how it hangs loose below the shoulder blades in this photo:

The only issue I have is that this is a stretchy material, but for the men's cuts (at least in large) it doesn't taper in below the chest, giving someone with an athletic build a bad silhouette. E.g. look at how it hangs loose below the shoulder blades in this photo:

Doesn't fit the 4frnt Deadbolt 18 binding, even though they're Tyrolia-based. Possibly my fault for not doing enough research, but I wish it was easier to find some wider brakes for powder skis. In case anyone else is looking for wider brakes for 4frnt bindings, I think you'll have to head over here: http://www.4frnt.com/xcart/home.php?cat=104

Even ultralight backpackers like myself recognize the need for a good night's sleep. One of the best ways to get a decent pillow is a stuff sack like this. Before going to bed, take all your clothes and stuff 'em inside; There's your pillow.

At just 2.7 ounces and a packsize about the size of your fist, it's a clear win.

Understand that slapping them onto an alpine setup will NOT be the same as a proper touring binding, even if you disregard the increased weight. Since the toe section of the Alpine Trekkers is just a metal ring to go over your boot, skinning cross-fall-line can be a little sketchy since the ski will tend to tilt with the hill instead of staying parallel to the bottom of your boot. When that happens, you might find your boot has a tendency to rotate out of the Trekkers, or rotate the trekkers out of your base bindings.

HOWEVER: what these are fantastic for is sidecountry and ascents that aren't too difficult. If you like to take a lift and then skin along a ridge out of bounds before making your descent for some fresh snow, these might be just what you need.

One might wonder why you wouldn't get just a beefier touring binding like the Black Diamond Fritschi Freeride Pro's or the Marker Dukes. They're generally a little more expensive than a your typical alpine binding, but around the same price as an alpine binding plus alpine trekkers.Final Note: You probably shouldn't use this if you have a large boot. These are adjustable length, sure, but if you extend it out a long ways (I have 330mm boots - 6'2") then you can tweak the central support (those screws). Sitting on the summit after two ascents I noticed that one of my screws had popped out!

I've been using this for about a month now. The fit is great, but does come up in the armpits a little when you're hunched over. It's not as stretchy as you'd probably come to expect from a softshell, but this is an M1 (marmot's name for their most weather-resistant material). What that means is that you sacrifice a little of the flex for what is essentially a rain-proof softshell.

The material will get a tiny bit stretchier and less stiff with wear, which is what you want; It comes out of the factory a little stiff.

Was great on groomed terrain, park, and bumps, but had to do an awful lot of work to get these around through crud and wet powder. The VCT and VCT Turbo are good alternatives that do everything the MSP does, but also handle off-piste stuff really well.

I ski around Tahoe, though. These might be great for an east-coast advanced skier.

Another disclaimer is that I'm 6'2" and 205 lbs with strong legs so maneuvering heavier skis (like the VCT) is a non-issue for me.